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“I GOT NOW!” 1-on-1 w/ Jamal King

Approximately one hour east of Raleigh, NC sits a small town made of predominantly farmland called Goldsboro. Enter Jamal King, a rising sophomore at Wayne Country Day School (Wayne County City, NC). Already standing at 6’5 and touting a college ready body, the freshman shooting guard is already starting to generate buzz. King is deceptively quick, extremely athletic and a knockdown shooter from 3 point range. When he shoots his jumper it is a high arching shot that normally hits nothing but net. When he goes to the basket all defenders are aware of his presence as King is liable to dunk on someone without warning.

RAM Prospects had an opportunity to sit down with Jamal King to find out more about who he is….

RAM Prospects: So, first off, let’s start off with your name… I understand that Jamal isn’t your first name?

Jamal King: Nah, but I like to go by Jamal.

RAM: Why do you go by your middle name?

JK: My family has always called me by my middle name so I kept that going.

RAM: So now you’re getting ready for your sophomore year in high school… Tell me, what that transition was like from middle school to high school?

JK: The biggest transition for me was knowing who my real friends were because people change. The classes were a bit tougher than middle school, but for the most part, it was a smooth transition for me and I think I’ve adjusted well!

RAM: Can you remember the first time you picked up a basketball?

JK: Absolutely! I was 4 years old when I first picked up a basketball and never wanted to put it down since!

RAM: I understand that you grew up on a farm… Tell me what that was like?

JK: Aww Man! You have to literally be up at the crack of dawn… Like 4:30 – 5:00am ! Then you got chickens and stuff chasing you around, feeding hogs… It’s not a lifestyle that’s built for just anybody. I definitely learned the value of hard work having to live and work on a farm.

“What drives me to put in work is when I see guys getting offers that I know aren’t better than me!”

RAM: How has that work ethic transitioned for you on the court?

JK: I have always worked hard, but once I got to high school I realized everything counted and other guys were just as good as I was, so I had to work even harder to separate myself from them. Working on a farm for all of these years helped me step up and meet that challenge.

RAM: I know you put a tremendous amount of time into training, what drives you to put in that much work?

JK: What drives me to put in so much work is when I see these guys getting offers that I know aren’t better than me! Plus my trainer [Larry Bratcher] puts me through grueling workouts… So I’m in a position where I don’t have a choice but to put in work and to make sure it shows every time I step on the court.

RAM: What do you think separates you from other players?

JK: One thing that separates me from other players is, no matter what I’m going to stay humble and try to be an example to others.

RAM: What aspect of your game do you want to put more focus on?

JK: I want to put more focus on my ball handling… I feel like it’ll allow me to do a better job at getting anywhere on the court so I can be more of a threat!

RAM: What are you goals for this upcoming high school season?

JK: My goal is for us to win a state championship. It’s that or bust!

RAM: Alright, time to switch it up on you… Outside of basketball, if you had to pick a sport what would it be?

JK: If I had to pick another sport.. **takes a second to think**… I would say football.

RAM: What is your favorite food?

JK: Fried pork chops and gravy. **smiles from ear to ear**

RAM: What are some of you hobbies outside of basketball?

JK: I like to hunt and ride horses…

RAM: **blank stare**… For real?

JK: YUP!

RAM: That’s actually pretty cool… You don’t hear many kids your age having an interest in the outdoors type stuff.

RAM: What’s your video game of choice?

JK: Anything on PS4… Especially NBA 2k!

RAM: Okay Jamal, that’s all I got for you, man! Best of luck to you this season and throughout your career!

JK: Thank you!

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3 comments

Jamal is a great all around person. He’s always very respectful. It was on honor to be his 7th grade teacher and student government association advisor. He represented the student body well as he served as president! He’s definately one of a kind.

Jamal is a great all around person. He’s always very respectful. It was an honor to be his 7th grade teacher and student government association advisor. He represented the student body well as he served as president! He’s definately one of a kind.

An extremely talented young man who has the ability to stay grounded and focused at the same time. It should be more than obvious that he has wonderful parents who taught him well. I continue to watch him grow “UP” and I’m so impressed with him as a man AND an athlete. #AlwaysTeamJamal

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